TotT 1: To Tell the Truth
by Celestial-Lorekeeper
Summary: Jim once made a promise that he didn't keep. It's time to change that, though it may prove to be the hardest thing he's ever done: Tell his Mother the Truth. (Rated T for safety due to sparring combat, Yes Draal's in here, though I couldn't add him to the list lol!) Book One in "Tales of the Trollhunters"
1. Chapter 1

((Hello again, all! Another fic for you, this one kind of a set up for a few stories that will follow. I suppose you could say this one comes after 'Armor Can't Protect One from Everything' and before the others. *makes a mental note to put a chronological timeline on profile* Anyways, just a thought that was rattling around in my head about what if, finally, Jim decided it was time to keep his promise after all: To tell his mother the Truth about Everything. Of course, he may need a little help to do it. I hope you enjoy!))

The nights outside the Lake residence was peaceful and calm.

Down in the basement...not quite so much. At least for one Jim Lake, aka the Trollhunter. The teen, who had faced down violent monsters bent on his demise on a regular basis, was about to do something that made him a thousand times more nervous:

He was about to go upstairs, confront his mother, and tell her everything about his being the Trollhunter.

"I don't think I've seen you this nervous since your first attempt in the Heroes' Forge," commented Blinky, watching as Jim paced back and forth.

"Worse," Aaarrrggghh! commented.

"I have never met her, but I have heard some of your arguments," Draal put in from where he was nonchalantly munching on some half-lit coals from the furnace. "She seems formidable, but not terrifying."

"You're not her son." Jim sighed.

"I have spoken with her extensively while I was temporarily turned into a human," countered Blinky, catching the youth on the shoulder as he passed by. "I thought she was a lovely, caring woman, if concerned about you a good deal. Will this not help matters?"

"Yeah ...no...I don't know." Jim ran his hand thought his hair. "It'll at least explain where I keep going and all, but she's my _mom_! She'll just as likely forbid me being the Trollhunter because I could get hurt!"

"Not option."

"You're telling me, Aaarrrggghh!." Again Jim sighed, causing Blinky to huff in exasperation and gently but firmly pull on Jim's arm until the teen moved over to a box, then pushed him to sit down.

"Getting yourself worked up about this will not help you at all, Master Jim. You will need a clear head before you face her with what understandably will be a difficult truth to accept, even for all the evidence available."

"But -"

"No buts. Worrying about what may be cannot help you with what is at the present. Now take a few deep breaths, settle down, and hope for the best." Jim did take a breath, then asked,

"What would count as 'the best?'" Blinky smiled, right upper hand rubbing his cheek.

"I think I'd settle for her not kicking me this meeting."

"Or spraying me in the face with that pepper stuff," added in Draal. That got a laugh from Jim, just in time for them all to hear the front door open and Jim's mom to call out for him.

"Well," Jim said as he stood, "I guess that's my cue."

"Good luck," rumbled Aaarrrggghh! as Jim stated climbing the stairs. The Trollhunter gave his Troll friends a smile, then headed on up.


	2. Chapter 2

((Just as a note, this chapter is very much inspired by when she 'found out' in the series.))

"Jim?"

"Right here, mom." Jim closed the basement door behind him, meeting his mom in the kitchen. She smiled at him, then nodded towards the basement.

"Everything okay down there?"

"Yeah, everything's fine." It was on the tip of his tongue to add something along the lines of how he was just putting some stuff up, or thought he heard a raccoon, but he bit back the lie. Today was about making a fresh start free of lies.

Barbara didn't notice his lack of elaboration, instead paused to lean against the wall by the door and push up her glasses to rub at her eyes.

"Long day?"

"Hectic. Multiple car accident and an emergency birth, on top of the usual assortment or illnesses and injuries. What I really could use is -"

" - a cup of tea?" Jim finished for her, gesturing towards the pot sitting on the stove, already streaming.

Hey, if he had to tell her something so brutally shocking, it would only be to his benefit to have her in a calm, relaxed mood first.

"Exactly!" Barbara went to get her favorite mug and preferred tea bag, then poured the streaming water over it and turned to look at Jim, leaning against the counter while she stirred the bag around to steep it. "Okay, kiddo. I know you love to cook but you wouldn't do this unless you had something to tell me." Jim couldn't help but give her a lopsided grin. Barbara smiled in return, though Jim could see in her expression that she was expecting more excuses and feeble lies in answer. "So, what class are you failing or which teacher do I have to conference with?" A shaky joke, but Jim was glad he could at least reply honestly.

"No. No, mom. I'm doing fine in school. Not failing anything and I'm good with my teachers." He took a breath. "But yeah, there's something I wanna talk to you about." He looked away for a moment, then looked her right in the eyes, drawing up every bit of courage he'd ever developed during his time as Trollhunter. "I - I'm ready to tell you."

"Tell me what?"

"The truth." Barbara stopped stirring her tea, eyes widening as she realized what Jim meant even before he elaborated, "About where I keep going, and why I come home late and have bruises and cuts and got that concussion. All of it."

"Oh." A moment of silence. "Should I sit down?" Jim nodded.

"Yeah, probably. But first just so you don't worry -" Jim ticked the points off on his fingers. "I'm not on drugs or in a gang or anything illegal, and I'm not getting into fights or being bullied or anything at school. So you don't have to worry about that."

"Well, I suppose that's good." Jim opened the door between the dining area and the kitchen for her, then followed her out. They took their customary places across from each other at the table. There was a tenseness between them which stood in stark contrast to ask the casual meals they'd shared in the past. Jim took a moment to gather his thoughts, then took a deep breath.

"Before I start, I want you to promise that you won't interrupt or ask questions until I'm done, okay? Even if it sounds really out there or like I'm making stuff up. I promise I'm not, and I have with me four pieces of evidence to prove what I say." Barbara look a deep breath too, stirring her tea again but not really paying attention to it.

"Is this something bad?" Jim shook his head.

"I don't think so."

"I...I promise."

"Thanks. Okay, it started one morning when Tobes and I were running late for school, and we decided to take a shortcut through the canal..."

Over the next two hours Jim told his mom everything about him being the Trollhunter, about the society that existed beneath their streets, his friends and the battles he'd come through victorious. To her credit even though there were moments when Barbara took a breath as if about to speak she bit back her comments and questions, though her hands tightened frequently on her long-empty teacup. Jim noticed this because after he'd started he looked mostly at the table, each phase of the telling replaying in his mind line a movie reel. But at last he had caught up to the present and wrapped up the story with,

"And I finally decided that I wanted you to know everything, like I promised." He glanced at her, then away again. He couldn't read her face. "I've had a few close calls, and I don't want to worry you or scare you but I don't want for something to maybe happen to me and it be like I just vanished or ran off. I'd _never_ do that to you." Jim took a deep breath, then finally looked up at his mom. Barbara was looking, to him, a bit pale and with a neutral expression on her face. Jim felt his heartbeat speed up; it was almost the same expression she'd worn when Nomura had put him in the hospital with a concussion. He swallowed heavily. "Mom?" Barbara closed her eyes, taking a deep breath before speaking.

"This - isn't like anything I was expecting to hear from you, Jim. But - I don't think you're lying."

"You don't?" _That_ was just about the last thing _Jim_ had expected to hear!

"If you had wanted to keep lying to me, why would you tell me something so far-fetched that no one in their right mind would believe it? And bringing in Toby and Claire when I could go to them for verification?" She shook her head. "No, you aren't lying. Which means one of three things: You still don't want to tell me, and are playing some kind of very cruel game, you are suffering from some kind of delusion and I need to seriously consider getting you medical help, or... you're telling the complete truth about everything." Jim started to speak up to defend himself, or perhaps to explain further, but Barbara held up a hand to stop him. "No, Jim. I listened quietly, now it's your turn." Jim obediently closed his mouth.

"Now, I know you're not that cruel. You're just not, Jim, unless there's been some drastic change in your personality. But I haven't observed anything of that nature, so I can eliminate you're still trying to hide something and now just being heartless about it." Well, that was clearly a relief to Jim as his shoulders relaxed a bit more. "Now, a mental hallucination. This might be the most plausible. It would explain why you're out so late sometimes, and it can even explain why you would include Toby and Claire into the story; they're not _actually_ involved, and your mind is seeing them when they're not there. But now I have to explain your injuries and the concussion. Those were very real." She leaned back in her chair. "Do you know how I knew from the start those weren't coyote scratches or bites?"

"Um, no?"

"Because I treat coyote bites – and raccoon, dog, cat, lizard, snake, and all manner of insect bites and stings – multiple times a month. I think I know just about all of them on sight by now. But those didn't look like anything I'd ever seen before. If anything I'd say whatever scratched you had fingers, not paws. The spacing and angle was just wrong for most animals, or even if you scratched yourself on a bush or tree. Thinking it through, I might consider that this is part of your delusion, and you made something to intentionally harm yourself. You might have even rammed your head into a tree or rock to give yourself the concussion. Even though no such self-harm device was found by paramedics – they would've told us – you might have staggered away from it.

"But there's just one thing, one little thing, that can't be explained as delusion."

"What?" Jim had to admit, he wasn't seeing it, and her theory was almost rock-solid.

"You know hospital policy when a patient is brought in unconscious, correct? We have to remove their clothing to examine them, by cutting them off."

"Yeah. It's in all the hospital shows, and that's why I woke up in one of those gowns and you had to bring me a new change of clothes before I was released."

"It's your clothes that can't be explained by delusion, Jim. From about here - " She put a hand mid-level on her chest. " - all the way down to your ankles were grass stains. There were even bits of grass and leaves in your socks and shoes! Your right arm was covered too... but not your left. There was just a little bit on the front of your shoulder, but otherwise your right sleeve was clean of stains." Jim blinked, confused, as his mom continued. " _That's_ what I can't explain, Jim. If you go with the thought that you intentionally dragged yourself along the ground, even not using one arm to give the illusion you created, then the forearm of your left sleeve would've been at least a little bit dirty. But it _wasn't!_ The only way that could happen would be if _someone else_ dragged you, _by one arm so it was held in the air_."

Jim's eyes widened as he understood. He'd been unconscious at the time, bit Claire had told him that he'd been found a bit of a distance away from where she left him in the woods, fighting Nomura. As at the time the Changeling had been trying to capture him, it made sense that she'd drag him along.

But the evidence left behind - !

Barbara took a deep breath. "I don't think that either Toby or Claire could drag you by one arm if you were a dead weight. Perhaps together they might be able to, but Claire I know for a fact was with her father at the time you were found. So the only reasonable explanation is that someone else was there, someone who ran away when Clarie, her father, and Toby arrived. Someone who dragged you while you were unconscious. And _that_ lines up with the story you just told me."

"Nomura."

"The only way this whole thing could still be a delusion is if this other person was also involved in the delusion, either going along with it or whole-heartedly believing it. That's my last hurdle to get over before I fully believe all of this." She finally raised her gaze again to look at Jim. "You said... you had proof?" Jim blinked a bit blankly at her for a moment, then nodded briskly.

"Yeah. This is the first one." He reached into his back pocket and set the Amulet of Merlin on the table between them. Barbara stared at it for a moment, then hesitantly reached out to touch it, pausing before she actually did so. Jim smiled. "It's alright. Go ahead." His mom finished the paused action, picking up the disc and looking it over, examining its glow and the ticking gears and pocket watch-like hands. After a moment Jim stood, letting her continue her examination, and stepped a few paces away from the table to where it was a little bit dimmer. Then he turned and held out a hand. Barbara started to stand, thinking he was requesting her to bring it to him, but right before her eyes the Amulet vanished from her grip to reappear back in Jim's, obeying its owner's silent call to return.

"What?" Barbara's eyes darted to her son, wide with surprise. Jim smiled and cleared his mind, finding that now that he'd reached this phase of telling the truth he felt considerably lighter of spirit than he had starting out.

"For the Glory of Merlin, Daylight is Mine to Command!"

After all this time of being Trollhunter, Jim had slowly developed the thought that the Amulet's – sentience, for lack of a better word understood whether he was calling upon its power for a battle or in a hurry or whether he was transforming for demonstration purposes. With the former it would appear on him in a quick flash, or if he was running lift him very briefly from his feet before setting him back down fully armed. But for the latter, just as now, it lifted him gently and slowly, arms stretching out and the silvery armor appearing floating around him for a brief heartbeat before, piece at a time, snapping into place then setting him back down with only a small, couple-inch high drop.

If Barbara's eyes were wide before, now they were positively _huge!_

"What – you're glowing!" She stood and moved towards him, and Jim couldn't help but smile as she unknowingly repeated herself. "How are you glowing!?"

"Perk of the armor," he answered with a small chuckle and she touched the chestpiece, as if verifying it was real. He stood still as she circled him, knowing her gaze was probably lingering on the very deadly and very real sword magically affixed to his back, before she came back to the front. Her expression was a bit shocked, and more than a bit pale. "Mom? Do you need to sit down, or have some water?"

"I... I think I'm okay." She returned to her chair anyways, though Jim stayed standing. Barbara rubbed a hand over her forehead, clearly trying to wrap her head around this undeniable evidence. Not liking seeing her this distressed, Jim put an armored hand on her shoulder.

"I know this is a lot. Believe me, when I first found out I didn't want to believe it at all!" A bit dimly the doctor nodded, then looked up at her son, standing there like something out of an Arthurian legend.

"You said... you had _four_ pieces of proof?" Jim nodded.

"In the basement, by the names of Blinky, Aaarrrgghh, and Draal."

"You brought some of your – Troll friends."

"Yeah. Though to be fair you've actually met Blinky and Draal before. Well, kinda met Draal." Jim grinned.

"Yeah, you mentioned something about you and Walter setting a trap for some kind of monster." Abruptly she looked worried. "I pepper sprayed him?"

"Yeah, but don't worry! He's not upset about it or anything."

"Ah. Okay." Finally Jim sat down to put them more on equal eye level, since when she was sitting down he was taller.

"Look, mom, if you're not ready, if this is too much right now, we can save the introductions for another time. They'll understand. All they want is to help you understand what I'm doing and make this as easy on the both of us as possible."

"No. I think – I think if I wait and do this some other time, I'll either lose my nerve or somehow convince myself that I dreamed all of this. Maybe – I could use that water though." Jim got her a glass, and after she downed it she stood. "Alright, I'm ready... I think." Jim smiled encouragingly and led the way to the basement door, opening it and calling down,

"Okay, we're coming down."

"And we are ready as well, Master Jim," came Blinky's reply. Barbara gulped and paled a bit at hearing a strange voice calling back, but followed her son downstairs.


	3. Chapter 3

((Okay, I'll be honest here: This chapter really gave me trouble. Some of the dialogue exchange was written, re-written, moved around, and edited more times than the rest of the story combined. So I hope I finally got it right, and when my head clears from writing this and I can look back on it with fresh eyes, I may rewrite this chapter.))

As Jim and Barbara descended the stairs into the basement, Jim felt his mom rest her hand on his shoulder. The contact probably was reassuring to her, he thought, so he just smiled over his shoulder at her, then at Blinky.

Surprisingly enough, at just Blinky. Neither Draal nor Aaarrrggghh were in plain sight.

"Where's Aaarrrggghh and Draal?" He asked as he stepped onto the basement floor, while his mom for the moment stayed on the bottom step seemingly torn between standing her ground and fleeing back upstairs post-haste!

"While you were upstairs discussing things, we did some discussing of our own and decided that perhaps it would be best for Barbara if the, shall we say, least intimidating and most familiar Troll to her, at least by voice, would be the first one she encountered." The scholarly Troll inclined his head respectfully to Barbara, giving her his most friendly smile. "A pleasure to meet you again, Barbara. I am Blinkous Galadrigal, but you can call me Blinky, as Master Jim does." Perhaps it was his familiarity with Trollkind, but as Blinky was talking – and thus drawing the focus of his mom – Jim realized he could tell where his other Troll friends were hiding. He couldn't help but give a small grin as he spotted Draal's shadow behind the furnace (seriously? How did he fit back there so easily?) and Aaarrrggghh they had simply thrown a large tarp over. But to Jim's eyes the gentle giant's tail made a noticeable lump, and one foot was half uncovered simply by his height, even sitting.

Thankfully, Blinky had Barbara's full, wide-eyed attention. For a moment she just stared, then blinked her eyes and gave her head a small shake to clear it.

"Jim – said we'd met before." Hesitantly she took a step down.

"Yes, when I'd had the interesting fortune to be turned into a human for a time, then again when you were injured due to being magically connected to Strickland. I am very pleased that you recovered from that horrid incident. I mean really! To use you as a means to get to Master Jim – simply uncouth behavior, even for a Changeling." A quick huff cleared the rest of his annoyance with said Changeling, and his smile returned. "I do want to thank you for your concern when I last parted from you as a human. You believed I was having something called a 'heart attack' and were quite determined to offer medical assistance."

"At the - café," Barbara said slowly and suddenly.

"Why, yes!" Blinky was surprised as well.

"I didn't go into that detail," Jim was quick to put in, rather caught off guard himself.

"That memory should've been erased by the undoing of the Binding Spell, yet you seem to be at least faintly remembering it."

"It's... like something I half-remember, like a movie I saw a long time ago or something I dreamed up."

"Hmm... perhaps Vendel might be able to explain that at a later point. But for now it is unimportant. What is important is helping you understand Master Jim's role in Trollmarket and to us."

"That is something I wanted to ask. Jim said that this is something that can't just be handed over to someone else."

"No, the mantle of Trollhunter is something that once given cannot be surrendered," confirmed Bilnky. "It is passed along only after the present Trollhunter falls in battle." Barbara paled and Jim was quick to interject.

"But that's why I train so hard all the time!" He patted the air as he spoke, trying to calm her down from an impending heart attack. "Blinky's in charge of that, and I've come a long way."

"Yes, Master Jim certainly has. I apologize if I alarmed you; I was thoughtless to phrase it that way."

"I – I think I'm okay." Barbara sat down on a nearby box. "Okay, so he can't give it up. And he told me that he feels it's what he's meant to do."

"Already in his short tenure as Trollhunter Master Jim has done some incredible things. He has earned the titles of 'Bular-Slayer' and 'Angor Rot-Slayer,' among others. He has done what many among Trollkind would say was impossible, and he has been the sole turning point on many occasion between vistory and destruction." Jim coughed softly, not quite comfortable with the abundance of praise Blinky was listing, and the Troll just chuckled before continuing. "Though there were those that doubted a human Trollhunter would be successful, they have now seen what I did from the start – Master Jim would be exactly what we needed, and then some."

"I think I could've told them that," Barbara spoke up, her motherly instinct to support her offspring kicking in and giving a much-calming moment of solidarity between herself and the Troll she was listening to speak. She took another breath, and both Jim and Blinky could see she was considerably more relaxed than a few minutes before. "Thanks for taking this easy on me. I think I'm ready to meet the rest of your friends, honey."

"Perhaps still one at a time?" suggested Blinky? "Both Draal and Aaarrrggghh are among the larger Trolls, so both of them revealing themselves at once might be a little overwhelming." Barbara nodded in agreement to the idea.

"Okay," Jim said, reasoning that to show her one of the more intimidating Trolls when she was calm would be a good idea. "Come on out, Draal."

"There's no pepper spray, right?" the warrior Troll asked from behind the furnace, making Barbara jump, but he was maneuvering his way out even as he said it. Her eyes widened as she saw him, looking up considerably given he was standing and she was sitting, then blurted out,

"How did you fit back there?!" Jim couldn't help bursting out laughing.

"You'd be surprised how good they are at hiding and moving around quietly, mom," he chuckled. "They have to move around Arcadia Oaks at night to get the things they need from us humans, remember? And I'd say Draal's had enough practice moving in and out of that space." Draal gave a soft snort in agreement before sitting down on the floor.

"Though I became fairly skilled at remembering when you would usually come down here for clothes washing and such and could thus try to be elsewhere, there were the odd moments when you would catch me off guard and I would have to hide. Er – I hope he mentioned the fact that I've been living down here."

"He did, though I admit I didn't think you'd be so... big."

"Perhaps a proper introduction." Blinky put in happily, doing his best to keep the mood light and friendly, "I'd like you to meet Draal the Deadly, son of Kanjigar the Courageous." Barbara gulped a bit, mostly at the 'Deadly' part – even Jim would admit the moniker fit Draal well even if it was a bit intimidating – but for his part the Troll just somewhat stiffly nodded his head in greeting.

"I feel like this is something less of an introduction for me," he admitted, and Barbara ran a hand through her hair.

"I can imagine. I keep thinking how many times I've come down here and that you might've been just behind the furnace each time!" Barbara took a moment to process that thought, then paused before speaking again, as if unsure of the answer she would receive or whether or not the topic was one to ask about. "Jim... mentioned the name Kanjigar when he was telling me about finding the Amulet." Draal nodded.

"My father, who was the previous Trollhunter. He fell in battle against Bular. Your son avenged his death." Draal cleared his throat. "I admit, when I first knew that your son had become the Trollhunter, I wasn't very pleased with the idea. I attempted to fight him for the honor, because I wanted to take up the mantle after my father, and hated the idea of a human Trollhunter. For Trolls, the Trollhunter is the epitome of everything we strive to be."

"And now a human was the Trollhunter," Barbara put in quietly. Draal nodded.

"But I've come to understand my mistake. Your son is not only a successful Trollhunter, but I fully believe someday will be as legendary as my father was."

"Wow, Draal," Jim muttered, surprised at the sentiment.

"Don't make it weird,' was the responding growl, before Jim could speak further. Jim just grinned and remained silent. Since her son seemed relaxed with the phrase, Barbara reasoned that it was some kind of inside joke.

"Do you think you're ready for the last of us?" asked Blinky kindly. At the nod, Jim moved over to the tarp and patted it.

"Ok, Aaarrrggghh." From beneath the tarp came the big Troll's soft rumble, and he twisted around and peeked out from under it. Jim didn't know whether he'd done it on purpose or not, but Aaarrrgghh certainly made himself seem entirely unthreatening by the posture, and by his mom's expression she thought so too. Slowly he came out to join the gathering, sitting down next to Blinky and giving his most friendly smile.

"Hi." Barbara took a moment before replying.

"Hello, nice to meet you." Another small pause. "Well... I see what you meant by 'large' but... you definitely seem a gentle sort." That got a larger smile from Aaarrrggghh.

"Glad to hear. Not like people afraid of me." Perhaps it was her medical background but Barbara didn't even bat an eye at Aaarrrggghh's speech mannerisms. She took a breath and let it out slowly.

'Ok, I have one more question."

"If I can answer, it, I'll be happy to."

"What's with the whole 'Master Jim' thing?" Jim tipped his head, looking at Blinky as well.

"You know, I've never asked myself." Blinky laughed.

"It's an honorific often bestowed upon the Trollhunter as a substitute for saying 'Trollhunter' all the time, much as in your past a person might say 'Lord' or 'Sir.'

"Huh," Jim mused, "didn't know that. But you don't have to, Blinky; we're friends."

"That we are, Master Jim. At first I did because it was the proper way to speak too you, but now I say it because I want to." Barbara was silent for a moment, thinking, then some.

"Okay, so far I think I'm getting all of this, except I can't say I'm happy yet with the thought of my son going out and fighting all these things that he told me about. He's sixteen! He should be worried about girls and school and things like that – not risking his life on a nightly basis."

"Thankfully, it's not quite a nightly basis," Blinky soothed. "But we fully understand your worries. That is why we help Master Jim train so frequently, and join him in battle as often as we are able, which is a considerable amount to be certain."

"In the past," Draal put in, "the Trollhunter exclusively worked alone. He might go to others for information, or for magical tools useful to his task, but always when the time came for battle he would stand against the enemy without allies at his side. A tradition the current Trollhunter seems determined to ignore." Jim just grinned.

"I've said it before: It's not Trollhunter, it's Trollhunters. We're a team." Blinky nodded at the sentiment, giving a smile Jim's way.

"For folly or fraught, we are a team."

"And so you're with him when he has to fight monsters and these – Gumm-Gumm things?" That seemed to make her feel a little better, and it wasn't hard for her son to understand why: it was a lot easier for him to deal with things two or even three times his size when he had his friends with him.

"More often than not. But even when we cannot be there, for any reason, Master Jim has held his own. The victory over Bular belongs to him alone, and his defeating a Stalkling – a feat no other Trollhunter had accomplished - as does several smaller but no less important triumphs."

"When Ms. Nomura gave him a concussion?" There was a faint accusatory tone in her voice, but before Jim could try to settle her Blinky sighed, expression regretful.

"An unfortunate incident that I for one very deeply regret allowing to happen. Between a temporary loss of the Amulet, goblins threatening an at-the-time unknowing Claire, and Nomura hunting him in secret, we were sorely caught off-guard. You have our deepest apologies for that."

"Hey, it wasn't your fault!" protested Jim. "Back then I wasn't a match for her. But I am now; even were she to come after me I could take her."

"I for one will hope we never have to find out," put in Blinky. Draal snorted.

"If she is so worried about you in battle, Trollhunter," he said rather bluntly, "then why not show her otherwise?" Jim blinked.

"Huh?" The warrior Troll stood.

"We will spar and let her watch. Then she will see how well you can wield Daylight."

"Spar?" Barbara echoed, clearly unsure about the suggestion.

"A splendid idea!" encouraged Blinky. "It would be a perfect chance for you to see exactly what your son is capable of, which may help alleviate your concerns for him in combat situation."

"Jim good," put in Aaarrrggghh. "You watch, you see."

"You mean in the Hero's Forge?" asked Jim, to which Blinky shook his head.

"Though he called the first time a necessary exception, Vendel has yet to give permission for Barbara to return to Trollmarket." He gave the woman an apologetic smile. "We typically try to ensure that no human ever knows about us."

"We'll go into the backyard," finished Draal. "It is nighttime, yes, and rather late? Little chance of being seen." Jim was nodding in agreement.

"Makes sense." He smiled at his mom. "You'd be surprised how often we've done that and no one's noticed. Good thing none of our neighbors' yards are directly touching ours!" At her continual look of concern, Jim stood and put a hand on her shoulder. "Really, Draal and I have sparred countless times now. He's actually a really good teacher when it comes to weapons. I promise everything will be okay."

"Well... alright, if you think it will help, then lets go."


	4. Chapter 4

((And a sparring scene, because who doesn't love them? I perhaps took a few liberties with exactly what Draal can do with that 'tuck into a ball and roll' technique, but I thought it looked good in my head, lol!))

Soon the entire group was assembled in the backyard under the starry night sky. Jim stood facing Draal, both with their swords in hand. Blinky, Aaarrrggghh, and Barbara were safely by the back door where they wouldn't be in the way. Barbara was tense again as she saw her only offspring standing opposite the huge, stone-skinned warrior and how deadly the moonlight gleamed off their respective blades.

"Do not worry," Blinky reassured softly. "This is sparring. Draal's purpose is to instruct, to teach Jim to improve even beyond what he already has, not to harm. Though they will strike as if their lives depended on winning, neither will seek to grievously wound the other."

"That's not a lot of comfort," was the pained reply.

Jim nor Draal seemed to hear her words as they watched one another, waiting for one to make the first move. Jim saw Draal's mouth quirk slightly in a smirk, and he knew some verbal taunting was incoming. He wasn't disappointed.

"Hesitating, Trollhunter?" Draal carefully began stepping to the side, so naturally Jim imitated his movements so they circled one another. "Worried about how you'll perform with your mother observing?"

"Not in the slighest." Jim could feel his own confident grin. Granted, his mother watching him spar was an oddity, but at the same time there was a thrill to having Daylight in his hands and the knowledge that in a few heartbeats he would be in battle once again.

The additional knowledge that his death wasn't a likely outcome was a bonus.

They made this slow, circling pass once, then again. Each was watching the other for signs on the moment they intended to strike. The tell could come from anywhere. A glance in the eyes, a sudden tenseness in the arms, bracing one foot against the ground - anything could reveal that singular moment that could also easily spell the end of a fight a moment later. Eyes narrowed, and in almost perfect tandem the pair lunged, and the Troll's sword rang against the edge of Daylight.

Over in safety, Barbara gasped, eyes widening as without further preamble Draal and Jim began sparring in earnest. Their swings came within inches of landing against the other, as at times it looked like Jim would have lost a limb were it not for a last-second parry. Both their expressions revealed intense focus on every nuance of their match; it was clear neither remembered where they were art this point. They only knew the battle..

"This doesn't seem exactly safe or friendly," Barbara fretted.

"Safe?" echoed Blinky. "No. In sparring there is always a chance of an accidental injury. But it would be accidental. And as for friendly, Draal and Jim have a great respect for one another. In a way, these matches affirm their friendship." Blinky chuckled. "Not that I would care to say that too loudly; Draal would deny it until the end of time." Aaarrrggghh softly chuckled, and Barbara couldn't help but smile.

"He didn't strike me as a demonstrative sort - oh!" Her cry came as Draal bashed Daylight wide, using his greater strength again his human opponent then simply grabbing Jim by the front of his armor and flinging him across the back lawn. Jim grunted as he hit the ground and rolled several times, and the big Troll followed. She started to move to intervene, but Aaarrrggghh put a hand on her shoulder, restraining her.

"No. Stay here. Safe. Jim fine."

"I agree. Master Jim is in no danger, and in fact taking any action on his behalf would either stop their match or cause either them or you unintentional harm." Barbara looked between the two Trolls, then back at Jim, who was still laying on the ground.

"He - he's not getting up!"

"Be patient, please. I have personally seen Master Jim take far worse blows and roll right back up again. See his hand, flat on the ground? I would wager that he is using Draal's approach to catch his breath, and his hand to feel it through the ground. Knowing _when_ to strike is just as important as knowing how or where to strike."

"Get up, Trollhunter," Draal ordered in almost a sing-sing manner, or as close to it as he ever got; he was well aware that Jim wasn't hurt from his tumble, just trying to bait him in. He paused about seven feet away, well within a quick lunging strike. "You will not get out of this match so easily." Jim abruptly jerked, rolling over to face the Troll and Daylight vanishing even as his daggers formed on his thighs and he grabbed them, throwing first one, then rolling once more towards Draal and throwing the other. At such close range, even though he'd expected some kind of maneuver like this, Draal could only parry the first one, then had to quickly pivot to dodge the second. Jim was already on his feet, shield forming in his grip and rushing Draal in a reckless move to shove against the Troll warrior with all his might. Normally Jim could've never out-muscled Draal, but he used the Troll's own turning momentum to try and trip him. Draal did tumble, but quickly tucked himself into a ball and rolled with it, building momentum and breaking clear before Jim could re-summon Daylight to try and gain the upper hand.

"Well done, Master Jim!" Blinky praised from the sidelines. Jim flashed a grin at them before he found Draal had reversed his own momentum and was rolling back towards him at a fair rate of speed. Naturally the human did what anyone would do in such a situation: he turned and ran!

"How is Draal _doing_ that?" Asked Barbara as she watched Jim dart this way and that, trying to evade the rolling ball of Troll but Draal always right on his tail.

"Such a rolling attack is quite common among some Trolls," informed Blinky. "I believe Draal favors it almost as much as his sword, as it takes advantage of the spikes upon his back. It takes quite a bit of training and practice to be good at, because it's also very hard to suddenly stop momentum... ah! See?" Jim had twisted mid-run and thrown both his daggers so they landed cross-hilted right in Draal's path. Though he wasn't hurt when he impacted them, the bounce rolling over the half-buried blades was enough to slow him down to the point that he uncurled and simply charged Jim head-on. Once more swords locked, and both warriors were breathing heavily. Though Jim, to Barbara's eyes, looked to be the more winded.

The bout continued for about another ten minutes of relentless combat that held Barbara somewhere between terror for Jim and blatant awe at his skill before Draal dropped down in a sweep that took the boy's legs out from beneath him. He fell flat onto his back and lay sprawled, visibly panting for breath and eyes closed.

"Do you yield?" Draal asked, though he sounded winded as well.

"Y-yeah," Jim replied, smirking a bit as the other tapped his right arm, then left leg, then chest with the tip of his sword. It was how Draal always ended their sparing matches since Jim typically was the one left on the ground, a small nod to one of their far earlier bouts. Then the Troll reached down, grasping Jim's hand when he raised it, and pulled him to his feet again.

"That was wonderfully done, Master Jim!" Blinky praised again. "A stellar performance; I'm pleased to see that you were able to utilize some of the new techniques we were working on last week."

"But – he lost." Barbara pulled a confused face, even as she moved to check Jim over for injury and he assured her he was fine.

"Perhaps, but in a real battle it is highly unlikely that such would've been the case. Exhaustion was Master Jim's downfall, not a lack of skill. By my guess, that match lasted around fifteen minutes, am I correct?" Barbara checked her watch.

"Close to."

"A real battle would have never continuously lasted that long. Should Master Jim have been engaged with a actual enemy it is far more the average that the battle is over within a handful of minutes, five at the most. Anything longer usually involves more maneuvering, hiding behind obstacles and stalking his enemy, thus also giving him time to regain his breath and rest for small increments if needed. So in short, Master Jim would have bested his foe three times over in that same duration."

"Said Jim good," rumbled Aaarrrggghh with a smile. "Push hard, make stronger." Jim was nodding in agreement, even as he dismissed his armor with a small sigh of relief.

"So you see? In a real fight I'm more than ready to deal with it, and that's just if I'm on my own. Factor in Draal and Aaarrrggghh and Blinky, and Toby and Claire of course, with me and it's over even quicker, most of the time." Barbara took a deep breath, held it a moment with her eyes closed, then let it out again and opened them.

"I – I think I finally understand." She smiled at Jim. "You really are good at that. I mean, I thought for a moment I was watching stunt doubles on some movie set. I would've thought you were putting on an act for me if I didn't know better." Draal snorted.

"Playacting a combat is what children do."

"Yes, somehow I thought you'd say something like that. But honey, I just have a couple requests?"

"What is it?"

"I understand that you feel really strongly about this. And in a way I guess it's similar to if you said you wanted to join the military. It's just as dangerous, in a sense, and I'd still have to live with the fact that you might not come home someday. Just like if you became a police officer or any other number of dangerous jobs that any mother would be proud to say her son had taken up." Barbara smiled a touch sadly, but proudly. "I just can't go bragging to everyone that my son saves the entire town on a regular basis. _But_ I am your mother, and a doctor, so I want to know when you get back from these... missions, or whatever you call them, so I can make sure you're okay. And that goes for Claire and Toby too." The last of the weight fell from Jim's chest leaving him feeling almost lightheaded.

"Can do, mom!" Barbara glanced at Blinky, Draal, and Aaarrrggghh.

"And maybe, if I learn a bit more about Troll physiology, I can extend the offer to you too."

"I have quite a few books on the subject," Blinky immediately offered, making Jim and Aaarrrggghh laugh. "Perhaps we can trade, as I have only a rudimentary understanding of human physiology, and after a time where Master Jim suffered from influenza I realized that a few of my books may be out of date with modern knowledge."

"Ah, you did it now, mom," Jim teased. "You hinted at 'books' around Blinky."

"Well, I do happen to have the most extensive library in all of Trollmarket, if I do say so myself," retorted Blinky with a proud smile. Barbara chuckled, then looked at Jim very seriously.  
"And no more secrets, Jim. No more lies." Jim nodded in full agreement.

"No more secrets, and definitely no more lies. I really didn't like lying to you from the start, but I didn't see any other way." She pulled him into a hug.  
"Then lets start over with this whole 'Trollhunter' thing."

"Deal!"

"I am very pleased that everything is out in the open at last," the scholarly Troll concluded. "But I know it is getting late, and young humans need eight hours of rest, correct, Barbara?"

"Right." Jim groaned

"Great, you're already teaming up on me." He was grinning as he said it, though, and they headed back inside as it was a bit easier, and safer, for Blinky and Aaarrrggghh to return to Trollmarket via the tunnel beneath the house, and Draal settled down in the basement for his nightly vigil over the household.

Jim bid everyone goodnight as the Trolls and humans separated, and his mom gave him a final hug before he headed upstairs. He changed into his nightclothes and dropped into bed, feeling finally at peace with his mom, his destiny as Trollhunter, and with himself. He wasn't sure what the future would hold now that his mom knew, but he was certain of one thing and that was his mom knowing about the Trolls and his role would certainly make things interesting.

Barbara sat up at the kitchen table for a time with a fresh cup of tea, musing over everything that had happened. Quite literally her entire world had changed in at least a hundred ways, but she felt closer to her son than ever before, even counting before he was the Trollhunter. Would she worry? Oh yes. Would she dread seeing him come home banged up? Most definitely. But at the same time she knew she was fully willing to support him, and was proud of him. A sound from below got a smile as she also couldn't help but think that they had the best theft-protection imaginable, and took a sip before sitting back with a sigh and a small smile.

The future was uncertain, but she was ready to face it, for Jim.


End file.
